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What Is the Classification of a Bull Frog?

The bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is the largest frog species native to North America. Female adult bullfrogs grow larger than males and can reach a mature size of eight inches long, making them easy to identify in the wild. Bullfrogs are classified as members of the Ranidae family, which contains the true frogs or riparian frogs. Bullfrogs are one of the most widespread members of the Rana genus and are commonly found in wetland ecosystems around the world.

Ranidae Family
- Like most members of the the Ranidae family, bullfrogs have smooth skin and large powerful legs that they use to propel themselves through the water. Bullfrogs are rarely found more than jumping distance away from water -- where they escape to when threatened by predators. Members of the Ranidae family reproduce by laying eggs in freshwater and undergoing metamorphosis from a tadpole to an adult. The family is comprises 35 genera and over 600 species.
Rana Genus
- Bullfrogs are classified as members of the Rana genus, which contains over 90 related species. The Rana genus is composed of New World true frogs as well as a few European pond frogs. Rana frogs are all brown or green in color and live near aquatic ecosystems. Unlike most other frogs in the Rana genus, bullfrogs do not have the conspicuous thin ridges -- called dorsolateral ridges -- that run along the back of most frogs in the Rana genus.
Bullfrog Range
- Bullfrogs are native to the Eastern United States and Southern Canada. Their species name, catesbeiana, is a tribute to Mark Catesby, an English naturalist who was one of the first to study the herpetofauna of the Southeastern United States in detail. Bullfrogs have spread far beyond their original range since they have been introduced to many other ecosystems around the world; populations of bullfrogs are now found in the Western United States as well as Hawaii, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.
Problems
- Beyond their native range, bullfrogs are often classified as an invasive species due to their ability to out-compete native species of frogs. Bullfrogs are resilient frogs that feed on a wide variety of animals in the wild including small snakes, birds, other frogs, fish and insects, which allows bullfrogs to easily adapt to and thrive in new environments. Bullfrogs are highly territorial and will defend large areas of shoreline in aquatic environments from other frogs. The tadpoles are distasteful and not consumed by fish or other aquatic predators, allowing the bullfrog population to increase rapidly in the wild.

Animals & Science